Colts/Seahawks Notebook: Richardson’s 3rd down run, the play of Freeman and the field goal block

Intro: In a back and forth shootout on Sunday afternoon, the Colts made the necessary plays in earning a 34-28 victory over the Seahawks. Here’s a look at the physical nature of Trent Richardson, the sure-tackling Jerrell Freeman and the Colts field goal block.

INDIANAPOLIS –

The reason why the Colts acquired Trent Richardson-With 4:30 left on the clock and the Colts facing a third-and-five from the Seattle 45-yard line, Trent Richardson knew exactly what was coming.

The Colts were in the midst of trying to burn off the final 6:38 of the game while nursing a three-point lead.

Richardson details his 10-yard third-down rush that allowed the Colts to keep the ball for an additional 2:30 with Seattle out of timeouts.

“Big third down carry. It was a power play up the middle and I told myself I know that’s what they brought me here for, not to let one man take me down, not to let one arm tackle take you down,” Richardson said following the Colts 34-28 win.

“I kind of stumbled over somebody. I caught my balance and somebody else came and tried to hit me and I lowered my shoulder and tried to run through somebody. That’s the football I play. That’s a signature move for me."

Richardson turned it on in the second half with 12 carries for 54 yards and he’s hoping those two quarters of football snowball into the rest of the season.

“To earn respect from these guys early, that was big for me,” Richardson said. “These guys being here have had my respect since I was playing for Cleveland. They did a tremendous job of bringing me in, being one of the family members and making sure I know my stuff and making sure I’m on point with everything.”

Jerrell Freeman making plays in space-Jerrell Freeman’s game-high 13 tackles is something Colts fans are used to (and should not be taken for granted) on almost a weekly basis.

The 13 tackles were vital but it was the final two stops for Freeman that ended potential chunk plays for Seattle.

After the Colts went ahead 31-28 with 8:55 to play, the Seahawks took over at their own 20-yard line looking to re-take the lead.

On a second-and-eight, Freeman made a shoelace stop on wide receiver Golden Tate after a six-yard gain.

On the next play, it was Freeman on an island (no safety behind him) tackling Russell Wilson on a read-option keeper for no gain.

“I’m just playing my read,” Freeman said of his third-down tackle. “Everybody has a job. When the opportunity comes, just be there to make a play.”

While Freeman might not think so, his open field tackle was a pivotal stop in the Colts ultimately preserving the win.

“We knew (Wilson) was going to run around and that third down stop right there was unbelievable,” Chuck Pagano said.

“Free is a really good football player and he's getting better each and every week. For him to make that stop right there was huge."

Blocked field goal turns into points-The stats that correlate between blocked kicks and a win in the NFL are overwhelming.

So when Seattle had their blocked punt in the first quarter, the Colts odds were stacked against them.

That changed when Lawrence Guy got his right hand on a Steven Hauschka 48-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter.

“Get the most penetration through the line,” Guy said of his thoughts prior to the kick. “Put that hand up and see if the ball hit it.”

With the ball flying in the air, safety Delano Howell grabbed the blocked kick and went 61 yards the other way for the Colts first blocked kick for a touchdown since the 2004 season.

“It definitely gave us some momentum,” Howell said of the touchdown. “We never stopped believing. We understood that we were going to have to play for 60 minutes. So it was definitely a big play and it was a team effort.”

Peyton Manning, in town for his annual “Celebration of Caring Gala” to raise funds for the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent, on Saturday night took the stage at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse and belted out a duo with country star Thomas Rhett.

Colts.com pays tribute to one of the most energized and charismatic individuals to ever wear the horseshoe, ILB Edwin Jackson. In his own words, Jackson discusses the two loves near and dear to his heart, family and football.